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Low Vision Assessment and Rehabilitation

Residential Vocational Training

Counseling

Both personal adjustment counseling and marital counseling were undertaken to help Dr. Cole and his family deal with his loss of vision. Counseling was a daily component of the team approach to his visual rehabilitation.

In general, he dealt satisfactorily with his visual loss; he had to come to terms with the changed dynamics within his close family circle and with the difficulties of communication with his grandchildren. He responded well to other visually impaired consumers within the residential complex, and with the visually impaired rehabilitation specialists with whom he came into contact. Progressively, his self-esteem and confidence in his ability to operate his professional business and to overcome his visual difficulties greatly improved.

The low vision authority, Tom Perski, describes five stages of a typical successful low vision patient:

Stage 1 is "I reject it", or "this low vision stuff is not for me."
Stage 2 is "I'll ignore the visual aids"
Stage 3 is "I'll explore it"
Stage 4 is "Ultimately, I'll use it"
Stage 5 is "I'll embrace and master it."